Hospital waiting lists here to stay, says Ahern

HOSPITAL waiting lists will always exist, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern admitted yesterday as further hospital cutbacks were revealed.

It is exactly a year since Fianna Fáil promised to permanently wipe out public waiting lists, but last night it was revealed that on top of the 250 bed closures at Dublin's five main hospitals.

James Connolly Memorial Hospital is to stop scheduling admissions from tomorrow to facilitate the closure of 32 beds.

Ambulances will also cease to bring patients to the A&E unit at the hospital if there are more than 25 patients awaiting beds.

In a letter to all senior staff, JCM Hospital manager Tom Gorey admits the further scaling down of activity at the 350-bed hospital will place further pressure on all staff.

"However, it is imperative that the measures are effective to ensure that we keep expenditure within approved limits," Mr Gorey writes.

It has also emerged that none of the country's teaching hospitals can guarantee jobs for newly qualified nurses.

According to a survey, conducted by the Irish Nurses Organisation, the main hospitals say that due to budgetary constraints they will not be in a position to fund the posts.

At present, the health service is short 1,000 nurses, the INO says.

As Health Minister Micheál Martin came under fire again and the Cabinet discussed the progress of a series of reports on the future of the health service, Mr Ahern acknowledged that there were problems in parts of the health system.

According to Mr Ahern, waiting lists are down 22% overall, with 18,000 on the in-patient waiting lists, and there has been an enormous reduction in waiting lists in most of the specialities.

To say fewer people are being seen in hospitals is not the case and 709 beds have been opened up, he said.

But the Taoiseach conceded that waiting lists will never be eradicated contradicting Fianna Fáil's much-vaunted election policy to permanently end waiting lists by 2004.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Government had promised to end waiting lists by 2004 but were now too far behind to deliver on that commitment.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said the health strategy was now in tatters just like the reputation of the minister.

Dismissing suggestions that the health service is in crisis, Mr Martin said he had secured record funding since taking office.